TOPEKA, Kan. – Arkansas Tech volleyball opened the 2017 regular season on Friday with two victories in the Washburn Invitational, defeating No. 16 Washburn, 3-1, and Emporia State, 3-0. The win over Washburn was the first by the Golden Suns against a Division II top 25 opponent since 2011.

NEXT UP

• Arkansas Tech continues play in the Washburn Invitational, with two games on Saturday. The Suns begin play against Pittsburg State at 1:30 p.m., before taking on Drury at 5:30 p.m.

HOW IT HAPPENED: ARKANSAS TECH VS. WASHBURN

• Washburn (0-1) took the first point of the match, but Tech's Lexie Johnston quickly tallied her first kill as a Golden Sun to knot the score, 1-1.
• The first set featured seven ties and four lead changes, the last of both coming on an 8-2 run by the Golden Suns (2-0) to claim the set, 25-22. Johnston and Hunter Eshnaur combined for eight kills and three total blocks in the game.
• The second set was a similar story, as there were nine ties and six lead changes. The Ichabods took an early 6-1 lead before a 5-0 run by Arkansas Tech gave the Suns the 13-12 lead.
• With the score tied, 21-21, in the second set, Washburn earned two consecutive crucial points and eventually tied the match with a 25-22 win.
• Arkansas Tech dominated the third set, behind five kills from Eshnaur and four blocks from the duo of Johnston and Amanda Milnick. The Golden Suns held the Ichabods to a -.091 hitting percentage, including 13 attack errors.
• A 6-1 run in the fourth set put Tech ahead, 12-7, and the Suns did not allow Washburn to pull within three points for the rest of the game. Eshnaur led all players with six kills.
• The Golden Suns hit .128 for the match while limiting the Ichabods to just .032. Eshnaur finished with a match-high 16 kills, and her 11 digs brought her to 30 career double-doubles. Madison Nagel led all players with 21 digs, while Johnston added nine kills and a match-high nine blocks. Milnick recorded 31 assists, 14 digs, eight kills and six total blocks to record her 10^th career double-double.

 
HOW IT HAPPENED: ARKANSAS TECH VS. EMPORIA STATE

• Neither team took an early advantage in the first set, as the largest lead of the game was just two points, until a kill by Allie Anderson gave Arkansas Tech the three-point victory, 25-22. Anderson led the Golden Suns with six kills in the set, as Tech hit .235 as a team.
• Arkansas Tech took command midway through the second set with a 9-0 run to take a 24-18 lead. Johnston later gave the Suns the 25-20 win with her fifth kill of the game and ninth of the match.
• Emporia State (0-2) posted a .207 hitting percentage in the third game while holding Tech to .140, but the Golden Suns took a late lead behind a 7-2 run. Greer Rogers and Rilie Vote then combined for the match-ending block, giving Tech the 25-22 win in the third set. Tabitha Spray led all players with four kills and zero attack errors in the game.
• For the match, the Suns hit .190 with 44 kills. ESU was held to hit .131 with 30 kills. Anderson finished with a match-high 13 kills, while Johnston added 12. Nagel led all players in digs for the second time in the day, tallying 16. Milnick recorded 32 assists.

 
NOTABLES

• The Golden Suns' win over 16^th-ranked Washburn was their sixth consecutive season-opening victory, and Tech has won 13 of its last 14 season openers.
• Arkansas Tech's 19 total blocks against Washburn are the most in program history since joining Division II in 1995.
• In the second game, Johnston and Anderson combined for 25 kills and just two attack errors, a combined hitting percentage of .479. In both games combined, the Golden Suns hit .155 while limiting their opponents to just .070.

 
COACH KRISTY BAYER SAID

• "I am very proud of the way we played today. We were amazing against Washburn. We served tough and got them out of system for the entire match. Our blocking was key in the victory. Our middles, Greer [Rogers] and Lexie [Johnston], worked extremely hard at the net. It was a very important regional win for our program."
• "Our second match started slow. We never really got a lot of momentum going but we were able to grind out the win. Madison [Nagel] was amazing defensively. She was aggressive and read well. Offensively, Lexie was dominant. She is physical and plays high above the net. She did great in her collegiate debut."
• "We need to rest up because we have two tough matches tomorrow. Our goal for tomorrow is 'finish our mission.'"